Portable conveyer



June 10, 1930.

W. M. DUNCAN PORTABLECONVEYER Filed June 18, 1928 INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM M. DUNCAN, 0F ALTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO DUNCAN FOUNDRY AND MACHINE WORKS, INC., OF ALTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS PORTABLE Application filed June 18,

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in portable conveyers adapted to deliver coal and other material into a car or other higher elevation than the point of loading, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The main object of my invention is to provide a portable conveyer with efficient drag and driving mechanisms operatively connected, and adapted to allow various adjustments of the delivery end while maintaining alignment of the driving mechanism; secondly, to provide for ready separation of the drag and driving mechanisms for transportation to points of operation through mine shafts, or other places of restricted opening; and thirdly, to various features of construction and arrangement hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate correspond ing parts,

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation of the delivery end;

Fig. 3, a detail View of a screw jack on a larger scale;

Fig. 1, a vertical sectional view of the boot; and

Fig. 5, a similar view of the cable reel.

' Referring to the drawing, the numerals 1-1 designate carrying wheels, preferably flanged for mine track rails, and mounted on an axle 2 supporting horizontally disposed lever beams or beam levers 33 hung between their ends by clips &4 from the axle, or otherwise fulcrumed thereon.

At the rear ends of said levers and rearward of the axle are detachably mounted vertically disposed posts 5-5 by pivot bolts 6-6, which posts are connected at their lower ends by a bracing plate 7, and near their top ends by a cross beam 8 supporting a conveyer frame with a drag conveyer.

This conveyer frame comprises sides 10 provided with U-shaped supporting braces 11 and outwardly inclined flash boards with roll edges 12 for safety and strength, in which frame is mounted a drag conveyer 13 extendconvnrnn 1928. Serial No. 286,212.

ing from a boot 1d at the receiving end to the elevated discharge end 15. This frame is continuous but bent near the middle, forming an inclined section upward from the boot in ground contact at A, and a somewhat horizontally disposed section projecting rearward beyond the supporting beam 8 and over the mine car indicated by dotted lines. The weight on said posts 5 and the rear ends of said levers 3, causes an upward reaction at the front ends of said levers, which is resisted by a rod 16 mounted in vertical struts 17 depending from the sides of the inclined section and having a series 'of holes for adjusting said rod therein.

The front ends of said levers 3 carry a cross beam 18 welded or otherwise fastened thereto, and a screw jack 19 (Fig. 3) is mounted midway thereon and operated by a pair of meshed bevel gears 20 (or other means) through a crank rod 21 temporarily engaging one of said gears, by rotating which the screw of said ack exerts an upward pressure against a bail or stirrup 23 that is pivoted to horizontally disposed platform beams 2e extending above the beam 18 and axle 2, and bolted at 25 to said posts 5.

The front ends of these beams 2 1 have a bolted connection 26 to the inclined section, and with the posts 5 bolted to the other section at 9 they form a triangular truss on each side. The upward pressure of the jack against the bail causes a downward reaction on the channel beam and front ends of levers 3 fulcrumed on the axle, and therefore an upward movement of the rear ends of said levers and posts 5 supporting the conveyer frame, which is thus raised at its discharge end together with the depending platform, while the boot remains in contact with the rails orthe ground. The rod is inserted in suitable holes and the screw is released till the rod takes the upward reaction of the weight carried by the posts 5. The arrows, Fig. 1, indicate the movement of the ends of the levers 3.

When the jack has reached its full height and it is desired to raise the projecting section higher yet, it is supported temporarily, the jack screw lowered, and the bolts 6 are changed to lower holes in posts 5; then the jack will raise the discharge end still higher. Successive similar adjustments give a change of elevation of about 14 at the discharge end in the size of machine now in practical use, as indicated by dotted lines Fig. 1.

A plate 27 011 the platform beams 24 affords support for a motor 28 adapted to drive the drag conveyer mechanism through a flexible coupling 29, and operative connections comprising a worm gear reducer in a housing 30 having trunnion bearings in stands 31 on said platform. A shaft connection 32 extending transversely upward at about 45 degrees to the side of the conveyer frame, transmits the power to suitable bevels in a casing 33 that is also pivotally mounted in brackets 34 at the side of the conveyer frame.

From the casing the power is transmitted through an universal joint 35 to a shaft 36 extcndingalong the side of the projecting section of the conveyer, to bevels in a casing 37 that is preferably pivotally mounted on the axis of the transverse shaft of the conveyer in brackets 38, to drive the drag conveyer.

A cable is wound on a reel comprising wooden discs 39, wooden drum 40 and brass center shaft 41 (Fig. 5),thus constituting an insulating reel with a non-magnetic core, mounted in bearings 42 carried by the platform beams 24. The cable is operatively connected to the motor, and the free end has a plug 43 for connection to a sourceof electric current. This wooden reel with brass core avoids magnetic induction from the coil when using alternating current.

The boot 14 has a hinged apron 44 inclined downward over the drag conveyer, and the front end has an opening 45 for the escape of return material collecting in the boot that might otherwise clog it.

This return material is that which adheres to the belt especially when damp, and drops more or less continually from the return belt. WVhen prevented by a shield from dropping on the mechanism below, it tends to slide down and collect in the boot at the receiving end of the conveyer frame. Also fine coal shoveled rapidly into the boot tends to slip back on the trough below the guard apron 44, and thus opening 45 relieves the boot of such clogging material.

The coal or other material is readily shoveled into the lower end of the inclined section and delivered to the car (or other place) adjacent to the elevated discharge end.

The weight of the inclined section and adjacent parts in front of the carrying wheels is only so much more than at the rear of said wheels, that a man can readily raise the front endby bearingdown strongly on the, discharge end.

The pivotal mounting of the driving mechanism described secures flexibility and promotes efiicient operation. The self-contained arrangement and construction are evident from the drawing and description.

The accessibility of the parts and bolted connections described provides ready separation of the driving mechanism and conveyer mechanism, so that the machine can be readily dismantled.

I claim:

1.1 A portable conveyer-comprising a drag conveyer frame, carrying wheels and axle, horizontally disposed beam levers hung between their ends from said axle, vertically disposed posts supporting said frame and pivoted to the rear ends of said levers, horizontally disposed beams extending over said axle and connected by their ends to said conveyer frame and said posts, and means acting on the front ends of said levers to depress the levers and raise their rear end connections above the axle, substantially as described.

2. A portable conveyer comprising a conveyer frame, carrying wheels and axle, lever beams fulcrumed on said axle and adjustably connected to said frame, a screw jack mounted on said lever beams, and a pivoted bail engaged by said ack and operatively connected to said frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A portable conveyer comprising an inclined conveyer frame having a depending platform, carrying wheels and axle, lever beams fulcrumed on said axle and operatively connected at one end tosaid frame, a cross beam at the other end of said lever beams, a

bail pivotally connected to said platform. a

screw Jack on said cross beam and engaging sa d ball, and stop means ad]ustably engaging said lever beams.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my sig- 

